When I first saw Lost and Delirious, Piper Perabo just blew me away. Actually, the whole movie was amazing. Still, Piper’s character Paulie Oster stood out as a unique role. I didn’t think I’d ever see anything remotely comparable. If you liked the movie as much as I did (or even more), please don’t get your hopes up, when I say I was reminded of Paulie when I saw Agathe de la Boulaye in The Girl. I think both actresses look strikingly similar in their respective roles: their clothes, their gestures, their motions, their eyes. However, The Girl is a somewhat surreal movie. There’s almost no dialogue and the plot remains rather vague. The passion between the girl and the painter is intriguing, but the whole story remains terribly unreal. The first few scenes are really strong, though. In a matter of seconds, the two main characters are introduced and their relationship is established. What could have been an excellent outset for a thrilling romance is then turned into a dull art movie with tasteful pictures and a solid jazz sound track. In fact, you can just visit the official site and experience the elusive atmosphere of the movie. If you watch the movie, don’t expect anything to actually happen. Just enjoy its beauty.

She’s a very talented singer and songwriter. She’s got a strong and clear voice. Her lyrics are thoughtful, poetic, and at times funny. Some of my favourite songs are “When Sal’s Burned Down”, “Are You Out There” and “Iowa”. Each has his own vibe. They’re about topics you don’t find in today’s music too often (and neither in yesterday’s music). Check out her official homepage and this excellent fan page.

I had heard one of her songs before (“As Cool As I Am”), but it was on April 16th, 2003, that I became a fan of her music. By now, I own all her albums. Especially her latest effort, “My Better Self” grew on me a lot. At first, I wasn’t impressed. But after seeing Dar live a couple of times earlier this year and listening to the album a bit more, I realized there are several outstanding songs on it, e.g., “Beautiful Enemy” and “Empire”. If you’re not familiar with Dar’s music, you should either check out her live album “Out There – Live” (featuring great versions of “Iowa”, “The Ocean”, “As Cool As I Am”, and “February”) or her debut “The Honesty Room” (featuring several amazing acoustic songs like “You’re Aging Well”).